Do kids transform into sudden energy balls when they consume sugary food items or beverages? Well, that’s what many parents believe. For years, sugar has been viewed as the ultimate culprit responsible for physical and psychological highs in children and adults. But is this really true? Are there any scientific evidences to back these claims, or are these mere products of a clouded imagination? We at Delhi Public School, Sushant Lok, one of the top CBSE schools in Gurgaon, often get asked by parents whether sugar or sugar-infused food and beverages are safe for children.
We have seen that parents’ primary concern is the supposed ‘sugar rush’ that gives sudden bursts of energy after consumption and can have long-term adverse effects on kids’ overall well-being. To help clear the confusion, we conducted extensive research to provide reliable, clear, and evidence-backed information. If you’re ready to find information you can trust, read until the end.
Sugar Rush: Getting the Fundamentals Right
Many people fall for misinformation because they lack basic knowledge, and the sugar rush concept is no different. Let’s clear this confusion forever by starting to understand the fundamentals. What happens is when we eat high-sugar food, our body breaks down the consumed sugar into glucose that thereby gets absorbed into the bloodstream. It gives rise to blood sugar spikes, triggering the release of insulin.
For the uninitiated, insulin is a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels by transporting the absorbed glucose into different body cells. The glucose is then used for energy generation and storage necessary to perform bodily functions. While consuming moderate amounts of sugary food and beverages doesn’t disrupt this process, overconsumption does.
When children consume excess sugar in any form, their blood sugar levels are instantly spiked, followed by a sudden drop. This sudden shift in blood sugar levels gives rise to numerous uncomfortable conditions, like fatigue, irritability, and loss of focus.
This means that sugar consumption does spike blood sugar levels, leading to a sudden burst of energy, but it is only temporary. The idea of ‘sugar rush’ is a myth since the generated energy is short-lived, and the following drop in blood sugar levels and energy leaves children more drained, tired, and irritable.
Let’s See What Science Says About Sugar Rush
Now that the basics are clear, let’s see how science supports these claims. Benjamin Feingold, an American allergist, first advocated the removal of food additives like sugar to treat hyperactivity. As a result, many American scientists started researching the matter. In 1995, the Journal of the American Medical Association published a meta-analysis of 23 reliable studies. The report highlighted how sugar has no discernible effect on children’s behavior.
At this point, it started getting clear that the concept of the sugar rush was getting promoted out of cognitive biases emerging in parents’ minds. It was also confirmed by a 1994 study published by the Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology. Researchers made a group of 35 boys (mostly aged five to seven) for this study. The mothers of all these kids believed their kids were sensitive to sugar. The kids were separated into two groups to determine whether children are actually sensitive to sugar and whether sugar rush exists.
They were all given Placebos, but mothers of half the group were told the children were given sugar, while the remaining were told their children had been given placebos. By the end of the research, it was found that mothers who were told their children had been given sugar rated their children as ‘significantly hyperactive.’ Even when the children were given Placebo, the word ‘sugar’ made them believe their kids became hyperactive because of sugar consumption.
Another consideration put forward by researchers was that most sweet items are given during special occasions or festivals. Kids are naturally more excited during this time, which makes them feel more energetic. Giving sugar during parties, festivals, etc., doesn’t necessarily induce a sugar rush in children. These scientific findings confirmed that sugar rush is nothing but a myth.
Conclusion
Misconceptions around sugar rush aren’t uncommon. They have made many parents believe that sugar is bad for children. We at Delhi Public School Sushant Lok, one of the best CBSE schools in Gurgaon, believe that excess consumption of anything is harmful, and practicing moderation is the key. Thus, today, through this blog post, we would like to advise parents not to keep your children away from sugar. If you do so, they will only end up craving more sugary food and beverages. So, if you really want to safeguard your children from the adverse effects of sugar, look for sugar crash, not sugar rush.
Sugar rush arises when children consume excessive sugar, leading to severe crashes in the following minutes, which is unhealthy for them. People who study nutrition science know that nothing called a sugar rush exists. Children can experience sudden bursts of energy because of numerous other factors that get overlooked. So, as a parent, stop believing in a myth called sugar rush and avoid ceasing sugary treats for your children. Instead, moderating the quantity would serve the purpose efficiently.